I'm guessing since the vest is formed to keep you safe, it's the equivalent of riding with a crop sticking out of the back of your pants to let you know when you're back isn't flat against it. It definitely doesn't force me into position. Hell, I forget the thing is on 2 seconds after I zip it up. I guess it subconsciously reminds me to stay squared up since it's a semi-fixed object that is just there.

Haha well I know a little girl whose life was saved by a Tipperary eventer protective riding vest. She was riding with Pony Club at age 7 on a big thoroughbred. She fell off and was kicked in the ribcage while wearing the vest. She was air lifted out of there and taken to a hospital, where she made a full recovery. Had she not been wearing the vest, she would have been killed. The hoofprint imprinted into the vest went away with time, and now her younger brother wears that vest and she's grown into a bigger size. Seems to me that Tipperary's are just fine :)

When I was looking into vests this spring, I really wanted a custom colored tipperary, but when we looked into it online we learned that it does not live up to any of the safety standards. I went an Aerowear and so what if it doesn't look FABULOUS it does it's job, and lives up to and if not by passes many of the standards

WHY would any company sell a body protector that doesn't meet standards? It isn't like they are a fashion statement; they are purely meant to be a functional piece of equipment. If they don't function as intended, then why make and sell them at all? Well, I'll continue to wear mine. I suppose that it offers some protection, so it is better than wearing nothing.

I planned to purchase a Hows RS locally, which I believe is Level 3, but they are not made in small/tall and the regular length was too short for me. The people in the store said it was not a good fit.

This is an expensive lesson to learn. So glad I found this board to ask questions before diving in to a big purchase (well, big after the horse, trailer, saddle, etc, etc)

But it's got more safety certification than recommended, that's all that matters to me.

Plus - it's comfortable.

People need to realize that safety should come before comfort - one of my favorite sayings is that you will be a lot more comfortable in a safe, but not extremely comfortable vest than if you had a couple of cracked ribs. It's the same as helmets - many people hear are buying ones that don't live up to the safety standards, because they look nice OR it's a lack of education. A lesson is learnt from this - educate yourself before you buy.

What I find interesting is that Pony Club, in all it's safety, allows Tipperary.

I unfortunately have a Tipperary, traded my flexrider (which was certified) for the Tipperary when I lost weight and the Flexrider could be pulled up over my head... not sure which is more of a safety hazard. As the season for sales is coming around, it's one of the items on my list to buy before moving up levels.

WHY would any company sell a body protector that doesn't meet standards? It isn't like they are a fashion statement; they are purely meant to be a functional piece of equipment. If they don't function as intended, then why make and sell them at all? Well, I'll continue to wear mine. I suppose that it offers some protection, so it is better than wearing nothing.

I planned to purchase a Hows RS locally, which I believe is Level 3, but they are not made in small/tall and the regular length was too short for me. The people in the store said it was not a good fit.

This is an expensive lesson to learn. So glad I found this board to ask questions before diving in to a big purchase (well, big after the horse, trailer, saddle, etc, etc)

Thanks for all the responses!

Believe it or not, they became quite a fashion statement in the Eventing World due to seeing Upper Level Riders in them. Don't forget, many people coppy what they see in Magazines, in Video's and in person.

I see many coppying what Upper Level Riders wear on themselves, and on their horses. One round, you see Ian Millar in a Sheepskin 1/2 Pad and WHAMO - EVERYONE has them. You see Rodrigo Pessoa's horse wearing Sheepskin Open Front Boots...and WHAMO - everyone has them on their horses....you see Karen O'Connor in a Tipperary Safety Vest...and all of a sudden they are on everyone *these are just broad examples*

The Tipperary became a fashion statement in the lower levels, everyone had them. You weren't "Cool" if you didn't. Don't forget though, that many Upper Level Eventers are just as broke as you and I, and rely on their sponsors to supply what is needed to do their sport, and those sponsors rely on these "well known" Upper Level Eventers to market their products - so it becomes a win win situation. I imagine, that Tipperary donated their vests to riders, for them to market them...and it worked.

Lower Level Riders saw these vests on "big named" riders, and they had to rush out and buy them for themselves...and voila....that's how they became so popular and you would see 8 out of 10 riders in them.

It was a few years ago, at Rolex....gosh, I think it was 3+ years ago - where the Tipperary Rep announced at Rolex that their vests are not certified and are not approved. It was at that point in them, when many people went "oh, I didn't know that" because people bought them because everyone else was wearing them - people do not educate themselves on what they are purchasing. Many buy, because they are a popular piece of tack/equipment.

That was when I remember seeing people selling their Tip vests, and purchasing the new fad - which was the Rodney Powell Safety Vest aka Body Armor. Some European Eventers were wearing them at Rolex...then before you knew it, that vest was the next popular thing. I remember going onto ebay and www.tacktrader.com and other sale sites, seeing a mass amount of add's of people selling their Tipperary Vests.

I can go to an Event today, and I will still see Tipp's and the Flex Rider Tipperary knock off's.....but I see more of the Rodney Powell's and the new one the Airowear's. Those who are in the Tip's, I see them wearing the Inflatable Vests overtop.

Wearing a Tip alone, I wouldn't feel safe or secure, but if I had the Inflatable Vest overtop, I'd be quite comfortable.

Wow this thread sparked a lot more comments than I anticipated! Thanks for all the replies!

A couple things: I guess my issue is that I feel like there should be some level of responsibility that when a piece of equipment is marketed as "protective" and standard do in fact exist, yet it doesn't meet those standards, then it should be taken off the shelves. Paternalistic, perhaps, but in the end everyone wins (due to high medical costs from injuries that in the end affect all citizens).

The other thought I had is that comfort does matter. People are more likely to wear vests if they are comfortable versus if they cause discomfort to the rider. Yes, in the end it is personal choice. But we should not pretend that comfort is not a factor in all this.

I'm hoping those canister vests come down to the $300 or less level... Where are the competitors???

Comfort - hmmm. I hear this often when people try to defend their usage of Tip vets. I have no idea what they are talking about, because when I wear my solid, certfied vest, I am not uncomfortable.

Are they stiffer? Well, duh - of course they are because they are solid, they don't have the indavidual panels..but do I notice a difference in comfort level? No. I don't even realize my vest is on when I am wearing it - what in the world are these people talking about? Lol.

Just to note, USEA have been discussing this topic for a while, and I have heard through the rumor mill, that they will be making it a rule that you can only ride on course with a certified vest. Makes sense, since you cannot compete with a helmet that isn't ASTM certified right? But - now that the Inflatable vest has come out, we now see people wearing these over their Tip's, which is a certified vest over a non certified vest = certified protection.

So, who knows. You are correct, that people should educate themselves on what they are buying, before buying. I assume, that people assume that these vests are ok since everyone else is wearing them.

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